Hook-rack.



No. 754,503. 4 4 PATENTBD MAR. 15, 1904.

J. H'. RUBIGAM & J. F. BAXTBR.

HOOK RACK.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 31, 1903.

N0 MODEL.

UNITED STATES Patented March 15, 1904.

PATENT O FICE.

' JOHN H. RUBICAM AND JOHNFRED BAXTER, or CAMBRIDGE, oHio; SAID RUBICAM ASSIGNOR TO SAID BAXTER.

HOOK-RACK.

sPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 754,503, dated March 15, 1904; Application filed August 31, 1903. Serial No. 17 1A20. (No model.) 7

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that we, JOHN H. RUBIOAM and JOHN. FRED BAXTER, both citizens of the United States, residing at Cambridge,in the county of Guernsey and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hook-Racks; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. Our invention relates to hooks and hookracks such as are used in closets, clothespresses,kitchens, and,in short, wherever racks with hangers or hooks are necessary. It refers more particularly to that kind of hookracks wherein the hooks are secured to or provided with suitable bases which are slidably mounted in or on an elongated holder or supporting member-such as a slotted bar, strip, or the like-so that the hooks can be slipped on and off the ends of the holder and can be spaced at'any desired distance apart. The invention provides an exceedingly simple and inexpensive device of this character of neat and attractive appearance and especially adapted for formation from light sheet metal, though it may also be constructed from wood or other suitable material.

The invention will first be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, which are to be taken as a part of this specification, and then pointed out more particularly in the annexed claims.

In said drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of a hook-rack embodying our invention. Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the same. Figs. 3 and 4 are enlarged back and front perspective views ofa hook detached.

As before stated, while our improved hookrack maybe constructed from wood or other material suitable for the purpose it is especially adapted to be formed from sheet metal, producing a very light, durable, neat, and attractive device, and it is so represented in the drawings. The letter A therein designates the hooks, B denotes the bases or back pieces to which the hooks are secured, and C indicates the receiver, holder, or supporting member for the hooks, to which their bases or back pieces are slidably attached. The hooks proper may be'of any desired style or form and may be secured in any appropriate manner to their bases or'back pieces. In the present construction the said bases or back pieces consist of U-shaped or curved sheet-metal pieces, strips, or plates having upset top and bottom edges or flanges. The hooks are of the well-known double-wire type, having long upper horizontal hook members projecting from the vertical shanks, the lower ends of which are upturned or curved to form shorter hook members, each being thus adouble hook. The hooks are secured to the bases or U- shaped back pieces by having their vertical shanks passed through suitable slits or cuts in said U-shaped pieces, so as to bind the parts together, the bends from which the upper horizontal members of the hooks project serving to prevent the hooks from slipping down and detaching from their bases by reason of the weight of clothes, heavy kitchen utensils, or the like.

The holder or hook receiver or supporting member consists of a bar, strip, or other elongated part adapted for attachment to a wall or other support and having suitable top and bottom ways to receive, engage, and hold the flanges or upset top and bottom edges of the bases of the hooks. In this case the holder consists of an elongated sheet-metal strip, shown provided with holes for insertion of screws for attachment to the wall or support and having its upper and lower edge portions rolled or curved over on its face or front and the extreme edges thereof, housed or inclosed within said rolled portions, slightly forwardly extended, preferably in opposite oblique directions, and adapted toncoact with the correspondingly-formed flanges or upper and lower edges of the'bases or back pieces of the hooks, which are inserted in the ends of the holder in an obvious manner. Any suitable number of the hooks may thus be attached to the 'holder, and they may be spaced apart as desired, the spring of their U shaped metal bases or back pieces, as well as that of the rolled edges of the holder, serving to hold them tightly, preventing them from easily shifting out of place. The U-shaped back pieces pass over the heads of the attachingscrews as the hooks are slid into and out of place.

The construction described is not only exceedingly simple and convenient, but also neat and attractive in appearance, only the smooth,

flat, curved, and rolled surfaces being visible.

It is also strong and durable, the rolls and flanges of the holder and U-shaped pieces and the shape of the bases or back pieces and manner of attachment of the hooks thereto making the whole rigid and secure.

The holder and U-shaped pieces or bases may obviously be stamped and struck up from sheet metal and the hooks may be formed of suitable steel wire.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

l. A hook-rack consisting of an elongated holder adapted for attachment to a support and having parallel confronting upper and lower ways, and hooks attached thereto having curved or sprung metal bases or back pieces, the top and bottom edges of which are formed to slide into and coact with said ways to hold the hooks in place, the spring of said metal bases serving to hold them tightly in place.

2. A hook-rack consisting of a metal holding-strip having its upper and lower edge portions rolled or curved over on its front, and hooks having curved sprung metal bases or back pieces with flanges which engage with the edges of said rolled portions, said bases being inserted and slid into the holding-strip from its end, the spring of said metal bases serving to hold them in place.

3. A hook-rack consisting of a metal holding-strip having its upper and lower edge portions rolled or curved over on its front, and the extreme edges thereof housed within said rolled portions and forwardly turned in opposed directions, and hooks having curved or sprung metal bases or back pieces with flanges formed to coact with said edges, said bases being inserted and slid into the holding-strip from its end.

4E. The herein-described hold er for the hooks consisting of a metal strip having its edges rolled or curved over on its front and its extreme edges housed in said rolled portions and forwardly turned in opposite directions and formed to engage and hold the edges of suitable hook-bases.

5. A hook-rack consisting of a metal holding-strip having its upper and lower edge portions flanged and its extreme edges extending in opposite directions, and hooks having curved or spring metal bases with flanges coacting with said edges and engaging the same so as to hold the hooks in place.

In testimony whereof we aflix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN H. RUBICAM. JOHN FRED BAXTER.

Witnesses:

ANNA M. DOUGHERTY, R0131. H. CLARK. 

